It’s such a relief to see a show actually respect, and take advantage of, the television form! Hudson has an eye-catching wardrobe (courtesy of costume designer Salvador Pérez Jr.) and the episodes have a thematic and visual brightness that is an essential component: The show is an easy watch and the aesthetics subconsciously tell your brain “relax, this is fun.”

Kate Hudson is the best part of Running Point, but Kaling, Ko, Barinholtz and Stassen have built a winning ensemble around her, with a story that’s not only a workplace comedy, but one about family, as well.

The convivial comedy is sleek, fast-paced and witty, with a great cast and a unique setting. Its lack of ambition and depth is mostly overcome by other strengths.

Perhaps the second season implied by the cliffhanger ending will have more room to grow, even if “Running Point” looks expensive enough for a network-length season to be a stretch. The show deserves it.

In the first season of a comedy series, there are worse problems to have than trying to do too much. .... It’s a functional franchise right now, but there’s a lot of work to do before it reaches championship levels.

Running Point wastes Hudson’s star power and the significant comedic talents of its ensemble on uninspired writing and unlikable characters.

Are you in the mood for a basketball comedy that has some leaden jokes and some even more leaden things to say about sexism and prejudice in the US industrial sports complex? Of course you’re not. Nobody is. But it’s here, it stars Kate Hudson and it’s called Running Point.